17 Feb Tony Blair’s returns to frontline politics with Ant-BREXIT Campaign
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has made a return to frontline politics as he tries to dismantle the hard work that has been done and defy the will of the voters who voted for BREXIT in last summer’s referendum. Mr Blair said the referendum result was based on ‘imperfect knowledge’ and that there is need to find a way to avert the present rush over the cliff’s edge.
Mr Blair, who wants a second referendum and has pledged to campaign to keep the UK in the EU, will deliver his latest attack on Brexit in a powerful speech to Remain supporters. The speech is likely to be greeted with a bitter backlash from leading Brexit supporters and puts himself at odds with Jeremy Corbyn, who last week ordered Labour MPs to vote for the Government’s Article 50 bill.
“Harlow Labour Councillor Ian Beckett, speaking in a personal capacity, said “We live in strange times in the world of politics where recent international events show us nothing is impossible and the unthinkable can suddenly become very real. However, Tony Blair leading the anti-Brexit revolution? At least it will give the “Have I Got News For You” team something to work with. I have no problem with protest or parody but ultimately if we want people to engage in democracy we need to show them that we respect their decisions and where necessary seek to persuade them otherwise through the ballot box not the bugle”
Declaring that immigration is driving the Brexit debate, Mr Blair will say: “There is in some parts of the country a genuine concern about numbers from Europe – real pressures on services and wages.
“But for many people, the core of the immigration question – and one which I fully accept is a substantial issue – is immigration from non-European countries, especially when from different cultures in which assimilation and potential security threats can be an issue.”
Brentwood based executive Tim Bryans who runs the MM Enterprise Award told us “This is clearly defying the will of the people, We have already experienced decades of out of touch politicians who don’t seem to care or respect the will of the voters, the point of the referendum was to give us the people a voice, now a millionaire former Prime Minister who still gets state funded police protection is coming to tell us that the 52% were wrong and to derail such a monumental process ! NO I dont think so”
None of the 14 districts in the county voted to remain, with Basildon, Braintree, Castle Point, Epping Forest, Rochford, Tendring and Thurrock having particularly high numbers of ‘leave’ voters in last summer’s referendum.
Blair, who served as prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said that among the risks of Brexit, the issue of the break-up of the UK was now ‘back on the table’.
